Flue-cleaner.



No. 628,6H. Patented luly Il, |899.

` H. A. RUGGLES.

FLUE CLEANER.

(Appucaeion nledocz. 1s, xsss.)

(No Model.)

sus co., PHQTCLLITHO., wAsHfNamN, o. c.

UNITED y' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. RUGGLES, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE WERNER-SOHENCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

nus-CLEANER.

,SPECIFICATIQNfc-)rming part of Letters Patent No. 628,611', dated July 11, 189.9.

Application filed October 13, 1898. Serial No. 693,423. (No model.)

To all wiz/0m t may con/cern..-

Be it knownthat l, HARRY A. RUGGLES, a citizen of the United States, residing atMilwaukee,in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Flue- Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to i-mprovements in flue-cleaners. i

The object of the presentinvention is'to improve the construction of Vfine-cleaners and to provide a sim ple, inexpensive, and efficient one adapted for cleaning either water-tubes or smoke-fines withoutinjuring the saine and capable of being operated either by hand or by steam. 1

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and 'arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed outin the claims hereto appended.`

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a flue-cleaner constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views on lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a det-ail perspective view of the head to which the blades are secured.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. A

1 designates a shaft provided with inner and outer threaded portions 2 and 3, the' `outer threaded portion 3 being reduced to :form a shoulder 4 and receiving acap-nut 5, which.

clamps a head 6 against the shoulder 4. The head 6, which is constructed of brass or coppersimilar to the shaft, hasa general circular shape and `tapers toward the outer end of the shaft slightly. The central opening '7 of the head 6 is threaded to engage the threads of the shaft, and the periphery of the head is provided with an annular series of fiat bladesupporting faces 8, arranged at an angle to the shaft and converging toward the front end of the same to cause an annular series of blades or knives 9 to diverge rearwardly. The convergence of the faces 8 forms tapering intervening portions 10, and the inclination of the said facesprovides radially-arranged shoulders 1l. The front ends of the knives or blades 9 are secured to the flat faces of the `head by Vscrews 12 or othersuitable fastening devices, and their outer longitudinal edges, which are beveled at the inner faces of the knives or blades to form cutting edges, project beyond the outer edges of the said faces 8, while the inner edges of the knives or blades are supported by the radial shoulders 11. The cap or nut 5, which operates in the nature of a jam-nut, has a tapering outer portion to facilitate the introduction of the device into a tube or iiue.

The knives or blades, which are constructed of steel, are arranged at an angle to the central shaft and are slightly curved laterally, the curve increasing toward their rear ends, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, and the rear terminals of t the blades arecurved inward. By this `construction a tapering cleaner 'is provided,l and the blades or knivesV are set at a s ufficientangle by the head to throw the cutting edges outward.

t The bladesorknives are adapted to be sprung outward'and drawn inward to vary the diameter of the cleaner to correspond to the size of the tubes or .iiues to be cleaned, and they are adjusted inward and outward by means of an annular series of toggle-arms 13, which have their outer ends pivotally connected with the blades andyjtheir inner ends similarly secured to a sliding sleeve 14. The arms 13 are slightly curved. to offset their outer ends laterally from the. points of attachment of their inner ends, owing tothe lateral curve of the blades, and the latter are provided at their inner faces with plates 15,

.having perforated ears and preferably constructed of brass or similar metal. The sliding sleeve is provided'with a. series of radial slots 16, in which the inner ends of the arms 13 are arranged, and the said inner ends of the arms are perforated and are secured to the sliding sleeve by means of a wire 17, arranged in an annular groove 18, which intersects the slots; but any other form of pivotal connection may be employed, if f desired. The sliding sleeve is provided at its inner end with an annular groove 19, which is engaged by arms 20 of an adj usting-nut 21, and the latter, which is arranged on theinner threaded IOO portion 2 of the central shaft, is adapted to be rotated to slide the sleeve inward and outward. The inner threaded portion of the shaft also receives a bell 2l', having a threaded opening and presenting an inner con-cave face and an outer or rear convex faceto center the device and guide it into a tube or iiue after it has been pushed entirely through the same, thereby preventing anyliability of the inner ends of the blades striking a wall or sheet of a boiler.

The Hue-cleaner, which is designed to be operated by handor steam, is adapted to clean either water-tubes or smoke-lines, and in cleaning the latter it is only necessary to move the cleaner backward and forward through the iiues without rotating it, as it will touch the iues at all points. In removing the crust or scale from water-tubes it is rotated, and it will thoroughly cut the same from the tubes, leaving their inner faces perfectly clean. The shaft may be connected with a rigid shaft or rod; but when it is desired to clean curved tubes and fines a cable may be attached to the device.

The invention has the following advantages: The fine-cleaner, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, is

adapted to be operated either by hand or steam and may be employed for cleaning either Water-tube boilers or smoke-flue boilers. The knives or blades, While being rigidly supported, have suffcient flexibility'to enable them to conform to the yconfiguration of a tube or fine and shave the scale or crust completely off the same. By constructing and supporting the blades in this manner the devicey is also adapted to operate on boilers having welded dues.. The bell, which is adapted to push the accumulation ahead of it, insures the safety of the cleaner in drawing the same backward into a tube or flue. By constructing the cleaner of both brass and steel, as described, two steel parts do not come in contactwith each other and the liability to rust' is reduced to a minimum.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to` without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

'with arms interlocked with said groove and adapted to move thesleeve inward and out- Ward whereby the blades are expanded and contracted, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a central shaft, a head arranged at the Vouter end of the shaft and provided with an annular series of flat peripheral faces converging toward the outer end of the shaft,

said faces being formed by recessin g the head' and providing the tapering intervening portions 10 having shoulders 1l, blades rigidly secured to the faces of the headand supported by the shoulders ll, a sleeve sliding on the .inner portion of the shaft, toggle-arms connecting the blades with the sliding sleeve, and means for adjusting the sleeve, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a shaft provided with inner and outer threaded portions, a threaded head arranged on the outer threaded portion of the shaft, a tapering cap-nut mounted on the shaft and engaging the head, longitudinal blades rig- 1 idly secured at their front ends to the head, a sliding sleeve mounted on the rear portion 1 of the shaft and provided with an annular groove, a nut engaging the rear threaded por- 1` tion of the shaft and provided with arms interlocked with the said groove, and the toggie-arms pivotally connected with the blades and similarly secured to the sleeve, substantially as described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY A. RUGGLES.

Witnesses:

CONSTANT M. RUeGLEs, FRANKLIN A. BECHER. 

